Lint remover



H. E. SELBY LINT REMOVER Aug. 24, 1965 Filed Oct. 28, 1964 INVENTOR. HAROLD E. SELBY BY a2; 5%

A T TORNE Y.

FIGZ

United States Patent 3,201,315 LINT REMOVER Harold E. Selby, 619 68th St., Broolryln 20, N.Y. Filed Oct. 28, 19534, Ser. No. 407,126

2 Claims. ((11. 151il4) This invention relates to lint removers, and more particularly concerns devices of the type which include a roll of tacky sheet material with means for carrying and dispensing the same in a manner to effectively remove lint, or other objectionable filamentary or particle material from clothing, fabric and the like.

While various devices have been proposed for carrying a spool of adhesive tape to allow the same to act as a lint remover When surface portions of the tape are brought into contact wtih the fabric surface to be delinted; such known devices are of complicated construction so as to make the mounting of the roll of tape thereon difficult, and are expensive to manufacture.

Accordingly, the principal object of this invention is to provide improved means for holding and dispensing delinting adhesive sheet material which is of a simple con struction to permit easy and quick mounting of a roll of adhesive tape thereon or to remove the same therefrom.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved lint remover which will be inexpensive to manufacture and adapted to be sold at prices which will encourage the use of such devices.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a device of the character described which includes improved handle means and adhesive roll mounting means wherein the handle means may be readily manipulated to facilitate the mounting a roll of adhesive tape on the roll mounting means, yet allow the roll to be rotated thereon or to be removed therefrom.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

In the drawing, FIG. 1 is a top plan view, with parts in section, showing a lint remover;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view, with parts in section, showing the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Essentially the lint remover of the instant invention comprises a one-piece structure having a handle portion and .a roll mounting portion wherein the device may be manipulated to allow a roll of adhesive tape to be rotatably mounted on the roll mounting portion and to be retained thereon while further permitting the conventional tubular core of the adhesive tape roll to be removed when the tape is exhausted.

Thus, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, a lint remover is generally indicated at 10. The device is adapted to have mounted thereon a roll of adhesive tape indicated at 11. Tape roll 11 comprises a conventional tubular core 12 on which is wound the usual adhesive tape 13; such tape having a tacky coating on one side and a non-tacky coating on the other side to allow the tape 13 to be unwound as required.

The device 10 is formed in one piece as of molded plastic or other suitable material and comprises a handle portion 14 and a roll mounting portion 15 extending from one end of handle portion 14.

Handle portion '14 comprises a flat bar member 16 having a curved outer end 17 and inwardly tapered side edges 18. The roll mounting portion .15 comprises a transversely extending yoke portion 19 at the inner end of bar member .16 and .a pair of arms 20, 21 extending longitudinally fir-om yoke portion 19; the tape roll 11 being adapted to be mounted on said arms 20, 2 1.

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To properly locate and retain tape roll 111 on arms 2%,. 21; yoke portion 19 which has a transverse dimension substantially equal to the inside diameter of tubular core 12, includes small flanges 22 projecting outwardly from the lateral sides thereof and coextensive with bottom edge 23 of said yoke portion. Thus, when tape roll 11 is mounted on arms 20, 2d, the inner end 24- of tubular core 12 thereof seats on said flanges 22.

The arms 20, 2-1 have a length slightly greater than the length of tubular core 12 and terminate in outwardly turned small flanges 25 which normally engage the outer end 26 of tubular core 12, as indicated in solid lines in FIG. 1. As arms 20, 21 have a degree of resiliency, it will be apparent that when tape roll 11 is to be mounted thereon, said arms may be slightly displaced toward each othbr as indicated in dot-dash lines in FIG. 1, whereby flanges 25 are moved to positions clearing the inner surface of tubular core :12. Thereafter, arms 20', 2'1 reassume their normal positions, thus retaining tape roll 11 in proper position.

The device :10 may now be used in a manner to bring the tacky exposed surface of tape 13 into contact with the fabric surface to be delinted. Fresh tacky surface may be exposed from time to time by rotating the tape roll 11 and removing exhausted tape portions '13 therefrom.

The invention herein may be embodied in the form of a device 10A which is made of a single piece of metal wire bent into suitable form. Thus device 10A comprises handle portion 30 and the tape roll mounting portion 31 extending therefrom. Handle portion 30 comprises longitudinally extending, adjacent wire portions 32 joined together at their outer ends by a bight portion 33. The wire portions 32 may be slightly convergent to a point 34 and then slightly divergent therefrom.

Roll mounting portion 31 comprises lateral, outwardly extending wire base portions '35 and a pair of longitudinally extending arms .36, 37; said arms being connected at their inner ends to base portions 3'5 by short, bent flange portions 38 which provides means for seating the inner end of tubular core '12 when tape roll 11 is mounted on arms 36, 37. Said arms 36, 37 terminate at their outer ends in short outwardly turned flange portions 39 which are adapted to engage the outer end of said tubu lar core 12; the effective length of arms 36, 37 being related to the length of core 12 to properly retain the same thereon.

As the various wire portions of device 10A may be resiliently displaced, it will be apparent that by moving handle wire portions 32 toward each other as indicated in dot-dash lines in FIG. 3, the arms 36, 67 are similarly moved toward each other as indicated by dot-dash lines, to allow flange portions 39 to clear the inner surface of tubular core 12 when tape roll 11 is mounted on said arms. Alternatively, arms '36, 37 may be squeezed together directly for the same purpose.

It will be apparent that devices 14), 10A may be readily and inexpensively produced, yet they are well adapted to mount and dispense adhesive tape so as to permit the same to delint fabric surfaces.

As various changes might be made in the embodiments of the invention as disclosed without departing from the spirit thereof, it is understood that all matter herein shown or described shall be deemed illustrative and not limiting except as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A lint remover comprising a roll of adhesive coated lint removing material carried on a tubular core with the adhesive facing outwardly and means for rotatably mounting said roll, said means comprising an elongated handle including laterally opposed portions resiliently movable toward each other and a pair of laterally spaced arm portions extending longitudinally respectively from one end of each of said opposed handle portions, said arm portions being laterally and outwardly offset relative to the longitudinal axis of said handle, each arm portion including an outwardly extending shoulder portion at the outer end and an outwardly extending shoulder portion adjacent the inner end thereof, said arm portions being resiliently di-splaceable toward each other to admit said arm portions longitudinally within the bore of said tubular core and the spacing between the inner and outer shoulder portions on said arm portions being suflicient to receive the opposite ends of said tubular core therebetween when said arm portions are resiliently displaced outwardly to their normal position, the inner and outer shoulder portions respectively engaging opposite end portions of said tubular core.

2. A lint remover as in claim 1 wherein said means comprises a bent wire member wherein said handle comprises a pair of adjacent longitudinally extending wire portions, said wire portions being joined together at their outer ends, laterally and outwardly extendingwire base portions extending from the inner end-s of said handle wire portions, a pair of laterally spaced wire portions extending longitudinally from said wire base portions constituting said iarrn portions, said wire arm portions terminating in portions turned outwardly from the outer ends thereof constituting said outer shoulder portions and second portions turned outwardly at the junction of the inner ends thereof and said wire base portions constituting said inner shoulder portions, said wire arm portions being movable toward each other upon resilient displacement of said handle wire portions toward each other.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS DANIEL BLUM, Primary Examiner. 

1. A LINT REMOVER COMPRISING A ROLL OF ADHESIVE COATED LINT REMOVING MATERIAL CARRIED ON A TUBULAR CORE WITH THE ADHESIVE FACING OUTWARDLY AND MEANS FOR ROTATABLY MOUNTING SAID ROLL, SAID MEANS COMPRISING AN ELONGATED HANDLE INCLUDING LATERALLY OPPOSED PORTIONS RESILIENTLY MOVABLE TOWARD EACH OTHER AND A PAIR OF LATERALLY SPACED ARM PORTIONS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY RESPECTIVELY FROM ONE END OF EACH OF SAID OPPOSED HANDLE PORTIONS, SAID ARM PORTIONS BEING LATERALLY AND OUTWARDLY OFFSET RELATIVE TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID HANDLE, EACH ARM PORTION AT THE OUTER END AND AN OUTWARDLY EXTENDING SHOULDER PORTION ADJACENT THE INNER END THEREOF, SAID ARM PORTIONS BEING ADJACENT THE INNER END THEREOF, SAID ARM PORTIONS BEING RESILIENTLY DISPLACEABLE TOWARD EACH OTHER TO ADMIT SAID ARM PORTIONS LONGITUDINALLY WITHIN THE BORE OF SAID TUBULAR CORE AND THE SPACING BETWEEN THE INNER AND OUTER SHOULDER PORTIONS ON SAID ARM PORTIONS BEING SUFFICIENT TO RECEIVE THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID TUBULAR CORE THEREBETWEEN WHEN SAID ARM PORTIONS ARE RESILIENTLY DISPLACED OUTWARD TO THEIR NORMAL POSITION, THE INNER AND OUTER SHOULDER PORTIONS RESPECTIVELY ENGAGING OPPOSITE END PORTIONS OF SAID TUBULAR CORE. 